lightning round...

From 2006-2009 my wife and I visited the Grand Lido Braco in Jamaica and made many great friends. This resort was known for it's "au natural" side and we very much enjoyed the beach/pool sans clothing. In 2010 the resort closed and we had to find a new place to sunbath. We chose St Martin and on a peed boat/snorkel day trip the guide pointed out St Barths and mentioned that there were some great beaches (a couple where you could go "au natural"), it's small, fun to get around and very quiet. Well, that checked all the boxes for us so in 2011 we decided to give it a try. I did a lot of googling and found this site. Booked a villa (Case Du Roy) for June 2011 and the rest is history. We loved that first vacation driving around (getting lost a lot) finding beaches, views, etc. We fell in love with Select and the great people watching. We've tried out a few other islands since but always like to return to SBH. I'm turning 50 next year and I'm debating between Anguilla, St Barths, or sailing the BVI (something I've always wanted to do). I have a few months to decide since my bday is not until July, but I'd like to figure it out sooner rather than later to get stuff booked!


Leep - we have sailed the BVI twice and I highly recommend the experience! It is a great week! Not sure how much wind you will find in July, just something to consider. A day in White Bay (Josh van Dyke) visiting The Soggy Dollar and then dinner at Foxes is the best day of the whole sail! Hope you take this trip

charlotte
 
In 2002 we spent our 10th anniversary on SXM and we kept staring at this island across the sea. After our car broken into 7 times, I told Bill I wanted to visit the new island the next year, no more SXM for us.

2003 it rained every day, but we got a taste of what the island had to offer. We decided we had to give the island another chance. We have been coming the 1st week of December ever since, minus 2017.

2019 we will be on island for almost 2 weeks! I can’t wait �� and next year, we are coming down twice, June and December!!

Great thread! I enjoyed everyone’s stories, thanks for sharing

Charlotte
 
1998, It was our 25th. anniversary. I had found a great deal on a week's stay at the Carl Gustaff. Part of the package was a picnic lunch on one of their cabin cruisers. While anchored at Goat Island, the Captain shared that Denzel Washington and his wife had been on board the previous day. They had flown in for the mussels at La Marine. Naturally we went to La Marine that night for their glorious mussels. The next day we met Stefan and Bernard and had lunch at Le Select. We fell in love with the Island's laid back chic - haute cusine and next door mussels served in buckets with cats roaming around your feet, T-Shirts and flip flops while shopping in high fashion shops. Next week will be our 28th, trip to the island.
 
Nice story...keep coming back. We celebrated many, milestones and birthdays but our 50th wedding anniversary was the most special anniversary on St Barths
 
Nancy, the restaurant that you are thinking of was probably La Frégate at the Hotel Baie des Flamands. It was just up the beach from the Cheval Blanc site.

Kevin, I think you're right with that name. There was an artist who had little shop there, Yves something, I bought a wall hanging in blues of a case & fabric for pareos for myself & friend who was taking care of our springer spaniel Tugger while we were away, still have each & the pareo makes a return trip to SBH annually or anywhere else.
 
Amy, it's "A Trip to the Beach" by the Blanchards! Have it in my house. What a great story of the hurricane and their trials and tribulations of getting their restaurant up and running, etc...great restaurant btw!
...Bob and Melinda Blanchard tried a venture based on "Live the life you love" which included books and gift items, we met up with them at the Atlanta gift market years ago..they seemed to be doing fine, but I think the travelling for that venture was more than they wanted to tolerate.
 
Kevin, I think you're right with that name. There was an artist who had little shop there, Yves something, I bought a wall hanging in blues of a case & fabric for pareos for myself & friend who was taking care of our springer spaniel Tugger while we were away, still have each & the pareo makes a return trip to SBH annually or anywhere else.

Perhaps the artist was Jean-Yves Fremont, who made some very nice silkscreens.
 
This thread has been such a joy to read. Our first trip was in 2008. My husband was finishing up a three-year Air Force assignment in Winnipeg, Canada and we were yearning for some warm weather. Prior to Winnipeg we spent three years in Belgium near the French border, and during that time I attended language school and immersed myself in all things French. We spent many weekends traveling to Paris and throughout France, and after three years in the cold tundra of Canada we were more than a little homesick. I can't remember exactly how I came across SBH (probably some article in a fancy travel magazine) but the combination of French food, French language and a warm beach sounded positively irresistible! We rented the villa Fregate in Point Milou, and we spent each day exploring every possible inch of the island. We figured it was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so we wanted to "do it all."

Between 2008 and 2010 we moved to Las Vegas and, following a couple of six-month military deployments, we decided to plan a vacation where we could unplug and get away from it all. We went back to SBH and rented a villa up on the hill above St Jean. I can't remember the name of the villa, but we rented direct from the owner. It was quite a bit out of our price range, but after multiple emails in my broken french explaining the reason for our trip (a post-deployment second honeymoon of sorts) the owner offered us a deal we couldn't refuse. During this trip we spent most of our time lounging in our pool and on the beach. We didn't do much exploring and it was a very restful vacation.

Fast-forward to our most recent visit this past February. I think it's pretty safe to say it was on this trip that the two of us were bitten by the proverbial St Barth Bug. About halfway through that trip we decided to cancel our upcoming November vacation to Maui and re-book a trip to SBH instead. And now - only 94 more days until trip #4!
 
This thread has been such a joy to read. Our first trip was in 2008. My husband was finishing up a three-year Air Force assignment in Winnipeg, Canada and we were yearning for some warm weather. Prior to Winnipeg we spent three years in Belgium near the French border, and during that time I attended language school and immersed myself in all things French. We spent many weekends traveling to Paris and throughout France, and after three years in the cold tundra of Canada we were more than a little homesick. I can't remember exactly how I came across SBH (probably some article in a fancy travel magazine) but the combination of French food, French language and a warm beach sounded positively irresistible! We rented the villa Fregate in Point Milou, and we spent each day exploring every possible inch of the island. We figured it was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so we wanted to "do it all."

Between 2008 and 2010 we moved to Las Vegas and, following a couple of six-month military deployments, we decided to plan a vacation where we could unplug and get away from it all. We went back to SBH and rented a villa up on the hill above St Jean. I can't remember the name of the villa, but we rented direct from the owner. It was quite a bit out of our price range, but after multiple emails in my broken french explaining the reason for our trip (a post-deployment second honeymoon of sorts) the owner offered us a deal we couldn't refuse. During this trip we spent most of our time lounging in our pool and on the beach. We didn't do much exploring and it was a very restful vacation.

Fast-forward to our most recent visit this past February. I think it's pretty safe to say it was on this trip that the two of us were bitten by the proverbial St Barth Bug. About halfway through that trip we decided to cancel our upcoming November vacation to Maui and re-book a trip to SBH instead. And now - only 94 more days until trip #4!


Great story!
 
These stories should be put into a St. Barth book or at least make the thread a permanent one in the Tips section where it can be revisited every couple of years for new members.
 
So much fun to read! Thanks to all who contributed! Compared to most, we are "newbies" having been coming every year for only 10 years or so. Our first trip was inspired by a day trip from the French side of St Maarten. We flew over, rented a car and were blown away by the charm and beauty of the island. We had coffee in St. Jean, drove all around the island, lunched at La Gloriette and took the 5:15 SBC back to Grand Case. After that, it's been St Barth every summer with no regrets.
 
It was in 1997-the first year of our marriage and Charles said pick out somewhere warm for us to go in Jan. As he had grown up traveling the world with his Mom and Dad since he was about 5 years old, he had been almost everywhere. When I said St Barths he said 'Never heard of it and there might be some places we wouldn't want to go' Well I put on my Best Southern pout and he laughted and said ok. We rented a villa high up in the hills of Lurin and Charles was smitten with this island within one day. We have been coming every year for 22 years. What a blessing.
 
Great story Betty. Lucky that Charles and you found each other. Love spending Island time with you and sharing your Southern charm!
 
Delightful to read how others discovered St. Barth. Our story meanders—so bear with me!

Dan and I had visited several Caribbean islands and had focused on St. Maarten for our winter vacation. Both of us had hectic work schedules and wanted a quiet, serene sunshine break. For a couple of years, Dawn Beach offered that but, by 1987, we were tired of the traffic and crowds on the island. We went for a day sail and our group was joined by a couple who had just been to a quiet little French Island. They raved about it; it sounded like heaven to us. They had stayed at Manapany and recommended a new hotel named Guanahani. Soon after we returned home, we booked our next year’s vacation.

So our first year was 1988 and like many of you, we first stayed at a hotel——and for the next three years. Had a great time at Guanahani. And then another day sail brought a change to our lives. We went on the “French Kiss” with three couples from Philadelphia. Had a great time and they invited us back to their house for cocktails. Their “house” was a lovely villa in Pt Milou. It was beautiful with a huge pool; we were impressed! Then, they told us they rented a different house every year! “How do you do that?”, we villa novices asked. They told us about SiBarth.

Once again, upon returning home, we booked our 1992 vacation at a two-bedroom villa in Pt. Milou. We knew which villa it was since we had driven around the area. But fate—and an unexpected work conflict intervened—we had to change our vacation dates. Our booked villa was not available! We were going to go back to a hotel—not terrible, although we had been excited about staying at a “house”. Our SiBarth rep was sad for us—-“There is an older four- bedroom villa that just changed owners and the new owner might be willing to rent it as a two-bedroom.” The answer was “yes” and we booked it, sight unseen. Sometimes, you have to take a chance!

I will never forget the first time we walked up the stairs and opened the door and saw the view. It was amazing. Fortune had smiled upon us! A panoramic expanse of water with gorgeous sunsets. A pool. There was a garage (where Dan constructed our floats for Carnaval and our crew had a painting party!). An older villa—comfortable, solid and secure. The villa has since been updated and expanded. During the seventeen years we enjoyed staying there, we never tired of that view and the restful sojourn the villa offered us. Our vacation time expanded from one week to five. The owner was very accommodating. He welcomed suggestions from the many guests who cherished his villa.

In 2008, upon learning that Rosita and Jean Paul were building a villa in Lorient, we decided to change locations. We shared champagne with them at the building site. The plans looked perfect. So 2009 saw us begin our stays at the wonderful Les Jardins d’Emmanuel. Much has been written about this beautiful villa—words are inadequate to describe it and to pay homage to the unique hospitality of its owners. Rosita is warm, welcoming and helpful; the design and amenities of her villas are a tribute to her thoughtful nurturing spirit.

Our thirty-plus years in St. Barth have been enhanced by having both hotel and villa experiences. We prefer the privacy of a villa but understand why the many activities at a hotel may attract others. There is no wrong answer! Our story shows that, like much in life, chance encounters can change one’s course. We certainly attribute our discovery of St. Barth and, subsequently, the joy of a villa, to such encounters. Lucky us!
 
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